Attachment for paper-filing devices.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP H. YAWMAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ATTACHJVIENT FOR PAPER-FILING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 23, 1907.

Application filed February 19, 1906. Serial No. 301,762.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. YAWMAN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Paper-Filing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to paper filing devices which, described generally, embody a drawer or other container designed to accommodate a varying number of sheets, cards, folders or other units, usually of similar shape and uniform proportions which are held compactly and in a vertical position by means of a follower adjustable longitudinally of the container and it has for its object to provide an improved, simple and efficient guiding and securing device for automatically retaining said follower in its different relative positions. Hitherto, this has in many cases been effected only through the employment of various spring and leve mechanisms or other working parts cooperating with a separate metal track or way on the support that add greatly to the cost of manufacture and prevent the production of a low-priced article and it is, therefore, a further object of my invention to provide a securing device which can be inexpensively made in its ontirety from a single piece of material without such multiplicity of parts or movable members of any kind.

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of an index drawer and follower embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line bb of Fig. 2. Fig. f is a section on the line cc of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective with parts broken away, and Fig. (5 is a plan view of the blank from which the attachment is stamped.

In the present embodiment of my invention 1 indicates a conventional drawer representing any preferred type and in the present instance serving as the container, having the bottom thereof formed by twoseparate parts 2 and 3, or otherwise constructed with a longitudinal slot 4 therein and provided with a follower 5 which in normal position is preferably inclined slightly toward the rear for reasons that will be hereinafter pointed out.

6 indicates a plate of the peculiar form shown in Fig. 6 wherein the angles into which it is bent are indicated by dotted lines and which plate is secured to the bottom of the follower 5 as by the screw 7 and a tongue 8 thereof bent upwardly and fastened to the front to strengthen the connection. One edge 9 is bent downwardly in the slot 4 with a lateral bearing against the corresponding side of the latter while from the opposite side is struck a projection 10 in the plane of the surface 6 but projecting above the bottom piece 2 and lying coincident with the surface thereof. Beginning at the base of said projection, the plate is bent downwardly against the proximate or lateral edge of said bottom piece, thence in a horizontal lower extension 11 beneath it, the extreme edge of which extension is bent upward forming a flange 12 cooperating with. a shallow channel 13 forming a guide in the under side of the bottom board. The device is, of course, first bent into this shape, fastened to 'the follower and then slipped on the bottom from its end before the latter is secured in the frame of the drawer.

It will be seen that the follower is slidably supported upon the projection 10 and the latter is preferably formed at the extreme forward edge of the plate, as shown, to insure its greatest efficiency while operating to automatically check the rearward movement of the part to which it is connected for the reasons and in the manner about to be described. The device is fitted to its guide in such manner that there will be enough freedom of motion to allow a slight rocking or oscillatory movement on the projection 10 as a center so that when the follower is moved against and receives the pressure of the cards, papers or other articles being filed, it is inclined or rocked toward the rear and the rear edge A of the upper projection 10 and the front edge B of the lower extension 11 alone come in contact with the bottom board upon opposite sides thereof (as shown in Fig. 3) which results in a binding action that effectually prevents movement in a rearward direction. If the follower is constructed to incline normally toward the rear, as heretofore mentioned, so that the center of gravity as well as the point of application of pressure will be high and well in rear of the projection 10 the action will be much accentuated. Simple pressure of the hand will cause forward movement, as the rear edge G of the extension 11 is too far removed from the center of oscillation to permit rocking of the projection 10 and consequent engagement of its forward edge to check its progress. Rearward movement is manually effected by holding the follower substantially vertical while exerting the rearward pressure, as will be understood.

The device as above described, may be cheaply manufactured in any quantity and while simple in operation is of marked efficiency.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having a slot in the bottom thereof and a follower, of a plate consisting of a single piece of sheet material attached to the latter having a body portion adjacent the bottom of the receptacle, an extension thereon projecting downwardly within the slot in the bottom and thence laterally beneath the latter and a lateral projection on the body portion in the plane thereof and engaging the upper surface of the bottom.

2. In a filing device, the'combination with a receptacle provided with a bottom piece having an exposed edge and a follower movable in the receptacle, of a clamping member consisting of a single piece of sheet material at tached to the follower and having a body portion adjacent the bottom of the receptacle, an extension thereon projecting downwardly over the exposed edge of said bottom and thence laterally beneath the latter, and a lateral projection on the body portion in the plane thereof and engaging the upper surface of the bottom.

3. In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having a bottom piece and a follower movable therein, of a plate secured to said follower having a projection thereon extending over the upper surface of the bottom piece and a second relatively wider projection having an extended bearing on the lower side thereof, one edge of the latter being arranged beneath the upper projection to bind upon the bottom piece when the follower is tilted in one direc tion and to slide upon it when the latter is tilted in the opposite direction.

4. In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having a bottom piece, a channel therein and a follower movable in the receptacle, of a plate secured to the follower having projections extending upon opposite sides of the bottom piece and adapted to bind against the latter when the follower is tilted and a flange on one of the projections adapted to cooperate with the channel in the bottom to form a guide.

5. In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having a slot in the bottom thereof and a follower, of a plate secured to the follower having a bearing against both sides of the slot to form a guide and projections on the plate extending upon opposite sides of the bottom and adapted to bind against it when the follower is tilted.

G. In a filing device, the combination with a receptacle having a slot and a channel in the bottom thereof and a relatively movable follower, of a plate secured to the follower having side portions extending downwardly within the slot, projections on the plate bearing upon opposite sides of the bottom and adapted to bind against it when the follower is tilted and a flange on one of said projections cooperating with the channel to form a guide.

7. The combination with a receptacle for filing purposes embodying a bottom piece and a movable follower, of a securing device formed of a single piece of sheet metal having a body portion attached to the follower and :1 projection in the plane of the body portion, the metal being bent downwardly at the base of said projection, thence in a plane parallel to that of the body portion and thence upwardly to cooperate with the bottom piece and form a guide.

II-IILII I'I. YAWMAN.

Witnesses (l. \VILLARD RICH, Rnssnnn B. (lninui'ln. 

